


Keith

by Queenscene2



Series: Meet the Pilots [1]
Category: Voltron: Lion Force (1984)
Genre: Anxiety, Broken Families, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Gen, Health Issues, Mental Health Issues, Sheltered, perfectionist Keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24784459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenscene2/pseuds/Queenscene2
Summary: This backstory combines a bunch of headcanons that I have about Keith.This isn't related to canon at all, just from my own brain.Somewhat inspired by Tahani Al Jamil's character from The Good Place.
Series: Meet the Pilots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1792624
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Keith

**Author's Note:**

> \--Trigger warning: Some physical abuse ahead--

It was a cold and overcast day in Calabasas, as Bethany and Masashi Kogane brought their 2 week old baby boy home from the hospital. There were some difficult birthing complications that morning on October 13th, but the two new parents were eager to finally bring their child home.

The Kogane estate was much too big for the new parents and their now newborn. A 14,000 sq ft. home complete with an elevator, a PA system, an infinity pool, and a movie theater just seemed a little too excessively big for a family of 3, but when you’re a brain surgeon and a famous international stock broker, it was important to keep up with appearances.

In their private car, Bethany looked down at her son, who was fast asleep in her arms. His thick black hair was already touching his ears. She smiled down at his tiny face. “Isn’t he adorable, darling?” She asked. Masashi kept silent.

~

Over the first few years of Keith’s life, his health seemed to decline. It was as if there was always an issue. Low muscle tone, digestive problems, ear infections, and the list went on. At age 2, Keith was already put on a special bland diet, which made him miss out on childhood delicacies such as ice cream and pizza. His health was so bad that his mother also hired a governess, Miss Drake, to take care of him and homeschool him, since she spent most of her time at the hospital.

To work on his weak muscles, his mother enrolled him into all sorts of activities. Tap dancing, piano, violin, wushu…the list went on. As Bethany enrolled her frail son in activity after activity, she realized that her son was quite the renaissance kid. He had won awards for his superior piano and violin playing at the age of 5 and was the best in his martial arts classes.

The doctor had given Keith ankle weights to help him with his strength. Although ugly and clunky, Keith wore them religiously, afraid that if he took them off, his ankles would disintegrate. A weird fear, yes, but it was real to Keith.

~

Keith’s mother was normally the one to give her son attention…if any, because Masashi was either too busy with his career, or too busy criticizing his child to care to spend time with him.

“It’s a disgrace for a Kogane to have such a weak constitution.” He said one day at the dinner table to Bethany when Keith was 6. “Masashi! Why would you say such a thing? Keith is a smart and accomplished boy, and that’s what should matter.” she admonished.

“Yes, father. I won first place at the piano competition the other night, didn’t you see my trophy?” he asked. His father slammed his fists on the table. Keith flinched at the sound of the impact. “Who told you that you could talk to me?!” he yelled. “Honestly, I’m not even sure we share the same DNA.”

Keith wasn’t really sure what his father meant by that, but the way he said it, Keith knew it was a jab at him and his character. He ate his creamed tofu and aspic quietly, a heaviness weighing on his heart.

At age 7, his father insisted on enrolling him into etiquette lessons, since every Kogane had to act like a gentleman. Keith _hated_ etiquette lessons. His tutor, Ms. Willoughby, was a mean old bird. It wasn’t long before she started inflicting corporal punishment on the young boy.

“Father, my etiquette tutor hit me today. She’s been hitting me all the time now.” He said one night, after hesitating to go tell his parents what happened to him behind closed doors. He was holding back his tears as much as he could, for it was a sign of weakness in his house if he cried. As he had expected, Masashi just brushed him off. “Then do what she says.” He said coolly. His mother gave him a weak smile.

Upset and angry, Keith ran out of the house and into the woods out back of the manor. He ran until his weak legs couldn’t take it anymore, which was only about a couple tens of yards. He looked around. _I’m lost!_ He said. Fear was rising up inside of him. That’s when he heard the witch-like cackle.

“Mommy! Mommy!” he cried. He was sweating a lot for a 7 year old. He noticed that he just kept running in circles. “Mommy! Miss Drake! Help!” The cackling just kept coming. Either that, or Keith’s brain kept playing it on repeat. He fell twice, scraping his knees trying to run out of the woods. His ankle weights were certainly doing their job.

The tears in Keith’s eyes finally started to fall as he scraped himself for the third time that night. He decided to keep going, even though he had no idea where his home was. After about 20 minutes of crying and screaming, he heard a familiar voice.

“KEITH! Keith! Where are you?!” He heard his mother cry out. “MOMMY!” he cried as loud as he could. His throat was gravelly from his screaming and crying. “Keith!” his mother cried. She ran toward the sound of crying.

After a few moments, Bethany saw her son waddle toward her as fast as his thin legs could carry him. He fell into her arms. “Oh, Keith! You really must run off like that!” she admonished. She had the butler, Cromwell, carry him inside.

~

When Keith turned 11, his mother enrolled him into a private academy for intelligent and gifted students, where he fit in just fine. He got As in every subject, except for one: PE.

“Mother? Father? Report cards are in.” he said. Masashi snatched the report card out of his hand. He skimmed through it. His eyes grew wide when he saw that one B+ on the page. “What is this?!” he yelled, standing up and throwing the report card on the floor. He was fuming.

“I-I’m s-sorry, father!” Keith said. He was trembling. “I will do better. I swear!” he said. Rather than encouraging his son or even giving the poor, trembling boy a hug, fists flew.

Keith grunted as he hit the floor. The sensation of his father’s fist was still on his jaw. “You DARE come into this household with a B?!” He bellowed. Keith felt tears fall. “I swear I’ll do better, sir!” he cried out in agony, which was responded to by a sharp kick in his back. Keith yelped like a helpless puppy. “NO! You _failed!_ Koganes are supposed to be _perfect,_ but _you_ were never perfect _._ You’ve been a mistake since the day you were born. You are no son of mine!” His father screeched.

He looked to his mother for support, guidance, a defensive maneuver, anything…but Bethany had averted her eyes.

Keith ran to his room, slamming the door behind him. _“You were never perfect. You’ve been a mistake since the day you were born.”_ His “father’s” words echoed in his mind, over and over and over. It’s as if that phrase couldn’t leave him. He expected his mother to run after him and comfort him, but she never showed.

Keith then felt his whole body shake. His heart started to race uncontrollably. He felt as if he couldn’t breathe. He felt like he was dying. Fear absolutely consumed him.

When he was able to calm himself down, he went into the kitchen cautiously to grab an ice pack for the black eye he developed, afraid to run into his father once more. He had explained the next day at school that he ran into a door.

~

Since that report card incident, Keith had worked extra extra hard over the years on his strength training in order to get an A in PE. The PE coach had helped him out, and he became more of a father figure to Keith than his own father could ever be.

With his help, Keith found that he could do all of these things that he saw the sports stars of the school do. Pushups, sit-ups, etc. Keith was suddenly not the wimpy kid he used to be. In fact, he had gained so much muscle, that those ankle weights were a thing of the past.

“Keith! Good to see you, my boy.” He said to him one morning. “You as well, Coach Thrasher.” he replied. Coach Thrasher gestured to follow him. “Come, Keith. I want to talk to you.” He said. Keith followed him into his office. “Yes, sir?” the coach handed him a piece of paper.

“I thought you would be interested in this.” He said. Keith scanned the paper. “The Galaxy Garrison?” he asked. His coach nodded. “Yeah. A representative will be here Friday looking for new recruits. I think you have what it takes.”

Keith thought for a moment, his eyes leaving the flyer. Keith wasn’t really sure what to do with his life. He felt as if his life was already planned out for him, and that he had no way to escape. Maybe this could be the breakthrough he needed.

“I don’t know…I don’t think I’m strong enough.” He said. Thrasher shook his head. “Actually, I think you are. You’ve made so much progress. You aren’t that scrawny kid I met 4 years ago, son.” He said. Keith smiled slightly. “O-Okay then.” He said.

~

Keith came home that evening and stood in front of his parents in the parlor. “Mother? Father? I have decided on a career.” He announced. Bethany smiled. “Oh? You’ve decided to go to medical school?” she asked. His father didn’t look up from his newspaper.

Keith gulped. They would definitely _not_ like his answer. Suddenly, Keith gained this confidence that he never really felt before. “I’ve decided to attend the Galaxy Garrison and become a space pilot.” He announced.

An eerie silence filled the air as Keith saw his mother’s face drain of all it’s color. Masashi put down his paper. “Excuse me, what did you just say?” he asked. Keith felt a second wind of confidence. He looked at his father square in the face. “I said, I’ve decided to attend the Galaxy Garrison and become a space pilot. I am enrolling on Monday.” He repeated.

Masashi rose up from his seat. “You dare go and join the _help?!_ ” he said. “You’ve disgraced our name for the last time, you insufferable piece of shit!” his fist once again flew at Keith, but Keith punched back faster. His father stumbled backwards from the impact and fell to the floor.

His mother screamed and ran to her husband’s aid. “No! _I_ am going to do what _I_ want to do, and you are going to accept it, whether you like it or not!” Keith felt his blood boil. Bethany was in tears. “You always criticized me, punched me, and harassed me because I came out “imperfect.” Well guess what? I am not _here_ on this Earth to please you. I am here on this earth to please _me!_ I will not listen to you any longer, you son of a bitch!”

“Get out! Get out of my sight if you know what’s good for you!” his father cried. Bethany ran out of the room. “I will, and I will never come back!” Keith snapped. He stormed out of the room.

Keith was packing everything that he could in his small suitcase. It wasn’t a lot, but at least he could get a hotel room for a while until he graduates from high school. After all, his parents did give him his trust fund money.

There was a soft knock at the door. “Keith? May I come in?” he heard his mother say. Keith didn’t answer. Bethany came in anyway. “Keith…please don’t go.” She begged. “What about all of the things I did for you? What about all of the accomplishments? What about—”

“The things you did for me? You didn’t do _anything_ for me!” Keith yelled. Tears were streaming down his face. “You didn’t do anything when Father beat me to a pulp. You just looked away and pretend it wasn’t happening. It took me all this time to realize that _I_ wasn’t the one who failed. It was _you_!”

Bethany was speechless. “I…I’m sorry.” she said. “Yeah. If you were truly sorry, you would leave him.” He said coolly. Bethany wiped away a tear. “I…can’t.” she said. “Then I guess I don’t have a mother anymore, either.” He said as walked past her. She followed Keith out the door. “I’ll always love you, Keith.” He didn’t respond.

He got into his red car and sighed. The tears were still spilling out as he left the manor for the last time. First it was sad tears. Not sad that he was leaving but sad that his life had turned out like this. The years of neglect, abuse, and control really took a toll on him. There would probably never be recovery from that.

But then came the happy tears. Happy because he was finally free. The world was Keith’s oyster and he was excited to see where fate would take him. He grinned to himself as he sped down the road, and for the first time in his entire life,

Keith was happy.

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY WOW
> 
> This is my first time writing a sad story like this with serious tones, so I hope I've conveyed it well. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Love,
> 
> Queenscene2


End file.
